Air supported gyroscope



July 13, 1937. L. F. CARTER AIR sUPPoRTED GYRoscoPE s shets--sheet 1 Original Filed July ll,4 1 934 INVENTOR l j YEsL/E E CARTER 1 lgn:A

July 13, 1937. L F, CARTER 2,086,896'

AIR SUPPORTED GYROSCOPE original Filed July 11, 1934 s sheetssheet 2 lNVENT R July 13, 1937. F. CARTER AIR SUPPORTED GYROS COPE 3 sheets-sheet 3 Original Filed July ll, 1934 IN'vENToR l 51. /5 CHR TER H/ ATTORNEY i Patented July v13, 1937 OFFICE Aml sUPPoa'rEn Graosoora Leslie F. Carter, Leonia, N. J.,

Gyroscope Company. Inc..

assigner to Sperry Brooklyn, N. Y., a

corporation o! New York' Application July 11, 1934, Serial No. 734,619

Renewed February 20, 1937 3o claims.

This invention relates to gyroscopic instruments for aircraft. The principal purpose of the inven` tion is to improve the bearings for such instrux ments, both guide bearings and rotor bearings, so

as to reduce friction and wear to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is to eliminate the use of ball bearings in such instruments, which are necessarily made of steel, since steel pivots,

ball-bearings and rotor shafts cause deviation of the magnetic compass li' placed near the same. A further object'oi the invention is to employ nonmagnetic material throughout which has the .same coefiicient of expansion, so that unequal expansion due to great variation in temperature bearings and magnetic disturbances.

-I propose to accomplish all of the above functions by eliminating metallic contact in all of said bearings by employing an air iilm between the parts of each bearing, created by air ow.

' `Referring to the drawings showing several forms my invention may assume,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section throughy a directional` gyroscope constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, partly in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a face view of the instrument.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of one of the bearings between the vertical ring andthe rotor bearing ring or gimbal` ring.

Fig 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. i'

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modied form of directional gyroscope, having setting means.

taken approximately A Fig. '7 is a detail of the caging cam on the ring, showing how the. device may be caged with either v side up.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section through a modied `form of rotor, showing the same spun by reaction instead of by direct action of air jets.

Fig. 9 is a similar section of lstill another form of rotor bearing. v v i Fig. 10is a central diametrical section of the rotor of either Fig. 8 or Fig. 9.

. Fig. A11 is a horizontal section through a gyro vertical or articial horizon constructed according to my invention. l

Fig. 12is a vertical section of the same. Preferably I employ negative air pressure (i. e.,- below atmospheric pressure) for actuating gym- `scopic instruments, although obviously positive pressure may be employed if desired. As shown. the directional gyroscope of Figs. 1 to 6 is enclosed in `an air tight casing I, from which air is withdrawn through a pipe 2 by any suitable source of may be avoided, thus avoiding binding of the vthe air escapes.

fvacuum. 'I'he directional gyroscope within said should not coincide with the center O of the in' struinent, as otherwise the whole instrument would turn over and would not be guided within casing i'. As shown, each bearing is formed as va concave surface ina block 6 secured in an aperture in the top or bottom of casing i. Each block is shown as having a central bore 'i through which air from. the outside enters theinstrument y through screen 8. If desired, a shield 9 may be provided to exclude foreign substances. The' complementary part of each bearing is shown as in the form of a convex button i0 having a cylindrical shank'i I secured in the central aperture i2 in the vertical ring. Said button has a central hole i3, normally in line with the hole 'i of block 6, which emerges at i4 to communicate with an annular channel i5 in said shank. which is in communication with channels I6 and i6 in the vertical ring. Preferably the shape of the cup and button is such that the clearance at the sides of the cup is smaller than the clearance at the bottom of the same, -so that too free escape of the air is prevented and an ample air cushion provided at the point of greatest load. If the cup and button are substantially hemispherical, I may accomplish this result by making the radii of curvature of the cup and button exactly the same, since the space between the surfaces will increase faster at the bottom'than at the sides when the' air llm enters. If, on theother hand, 4the cup and button are shallow (see, for instance, Fig. 9) the radius of curvature ofthe cup is preferably slightly smaller than that of the button so as to maintain the smaller clearance at the edges where Innorder to furnish additional lifting and centralizing force, I may provide additional radial channels ii and i8 leading from outside the casing to opposite points in the cup. The channels are preferably restricted Vso that each can supply only a y limited amount of air. By this means the breaking down'of the air lm is avoided even if the button becomes displaced more f at one side than the other'from the cup, since air pressure is maintained through all apertures regardless, as otherwise the greater portion of air l sponding channels and 20", passes into the interior of the horizontal bearings 2| and 2|'. As

. shown, each of said bearings is formed by a hollow button 22 secured to the interior of the vertical ring, as by means of set screw 23. The annular channel 24 within each button is in communication with the channels in the vertical ring and leads air to radial channels 25, 25' for furnishing the ai'r film for the bearing, and to additional channels 26, 25' connected with a com mon channel 21 for supplying additional air to said bearing and also to the rotor bearings, and for spinning the rotor. A large part of the airk passing from channel 2'| enters channel 28 in the cup members 2| and 2|', and a portion thereof passes into annular groove 29, which is yin communication with channels 30 in the rotor bearing ring 3|. The air from said channels passes into annular channel 32 in the Shanks of buttons 33 furnishing the rotor bearings, the air passing up through a central bore 34 in the same, where it escapes between the button 33 and a convex depression 35 which may be cut at the center of the rotor.

The air jets 35 and 36 for spinning the rotor are shown as leading off from each of the apertures 28 to direct air tangentially against the buckets 31 on the periphery of the rotor 38. Since the driving jets 36, 35' are a part of the l rotor bearing ring, the latter has 360 degrees of .complete freedom about its horizontal axis to permit of unlimited ang1es ofbank, climb and dive, and to loop the aircraft without interference with the normal function of the gyroscope.

It is essential that meansbe provided to cause the gyro spin axis to level oil" or, to be more exact, it should be capable of maintaining its own spin axis normally at right angles to the other two axes of freedom, i. e., the horizontal axis through the center of buttons 22 and the vertical axis through the center of buttons I0, in order to obtain maximum direction keeping on the part of the gyro, and for this reason I prefer to refer this leveling ofi to the position of the instrument case or aircraft rather than resort to some form of gravity responsive means, which are invariably affected by acceleration forces.

The means of leveling or erecting the gyro spin axis described hereinafter causes less drift in azimuth during the leveling process than is possible with the present standard form of directional gyro, because the leveling torque is always at right angles to the axis through buttons 22 and also the virtually frictionless air gimbal bearings do not cause the usual small but persstent displacement about the axis which is receiving the precessional torque.

For this purpose I employ the air to level the rotor. I have shown small oppositely directed apertures 39 and 39 through the periphery of the button 22 (Figs. 1 and 5), both of which are normally partially covered by the horizontal edge of notches 40 in the cup member 2| when the gyroscope is horizontal. gyroscope becomes inclined about the horizontal axis 22, one port will become covered more than the other, or it may be completely closed and the other completely open. thereby causing a torque to be exerted .through reaction around the vertical axis causing precession of the gyroscope about its horizontal axis to restore horizontality. It is therefore apparent thatthe'gyroscope will work equally well when'the ring 3| is inverted from the position shown in Fig. 4. 'I'he cut-offs 40 on 2| will then be turned `180" and operate in the reverse sense, but this is com- In case, however, thepensated for through the fact that the gyro rotation will also be reversed from the same pointofl view and hence the proper erecting forces are maintained The indicating card 42 is shown as secured to 5 setting means are shown, therefore, in this form of the invention. My invention may be equally well applied, however, to a directional gyroscope which may be set from a magnetic compass. as shown in Fig. 6. In this form the card 42' is' provided with 360 degree graduations and a hand setting handle 43 is provided to set the instrument in azimuth and lock it in elevation, as explained in prior application oi' Bert G. Carlson, now Patent #2,061,894, dated November 24, 1936, for Constrained directional gyroscopes.

Since my erecting device operates equally well whether the gyro be in the position shown in the drawings or inverted with respect thereto, I have shown a caging device also operable from either side. To this end the bearing housing or cup member 2|' formed on the rotor bearing ring 3| is provided with upper and lower flattened surfaces 45 and 46, against either of which the locking member 41 is adapted to bear, depending on which surface is down. (Fig. 7.)

Instead of spinning the rotor by direct action of air jets, it may be spun by the reaction of air jets escaping tangentially from the periphery thereof. This modification is shown in Fig. 8, in which air is led throughA the central aperture 24 of the supporting bearing button A33 into an axial bore 48 in the rotor 38', said axial bore communicating with a plurality of radial or diametrical bores 49, 50. The diametrical bores are closed at the surface of the ball and communicate with substantially tangential bores the tangential escape of the air spinning the bali by reaction.

It is obvious that the supporting cups and buttons may be either on the outer and inner member, respectively, or vice versa. Thus, in Fig. 1 the buttons for the vertical bearings have their centers of curvature between the two bearings, although not midway between, while the centers of curvature of the horizontal bearings are without the instrument. The same is true of the rotor bearings of Figs. 2 and 8.v In Fig. 9 I-have shown how the rotor bearings may be formed with their centers towards each other. In this case the central portion of the rotor is cut to form a convex surface 52 and 52' on each side and the supporting cups 53 and 53' are formed with concave supporting surfaces.

All of the metal parts of the instrument may be made of the same metal, such as aluminum alloy, or brass, according to my invention, since no ball bearings are employed, which are made of steel. Thus two troublesome problems are avoided, first, the trouble due to unequal expansion and contraction of dissimilar metals and, second, the deviations produced on the magnetic compass by the magnetization of the steel balls used in the bearings of prior gyroscopes. The reduction in friction also enables me to use lighter rotors which give as good results as 'the heavy rotors required to overcome ball bearing friction in the present types of instruments.

Figs. l1 and 12 illustrate how the same princi- PICS may be applied to an artificial horizon. In this case the gimbal ring 60 is supported within 7 to channels' 66 Y l0 bearing is shown as formed similar to the horlzontal bearings 2|, 2|' in Fig. 1, both bearings being air supported and at least one furnishing air tochannel 69 in the casing for spinning the rotor bymeans cf jets 10, and also for supplying the air to the. upper and lower rotor bearings `1I and 12 of the rotor 13. 'Ihe last named function is secured by means of a channel 15 leading from' the channel 69 in the gyro casing and which passesl downwardly through the casing and then along the bottom thereof to channels 16' in the of the rotor which supplies air for the moderate air pressure button 11 supporting the rotor for spinning about a vertical axis. The central channel 16 normally communicates with a hole 18 through the-center upper rotor bearing button 11'. Preferably the lower knob 11 is provided with a flange 90 having a flat upper surface on which the, lower face of the rotor 13 rests when no air is being supplied. When running, however, the air escaping be' tween the ball 11 and cup 12 flows out between the flange'and rotor and assists in supporting the weight of the rotor on the air film so created.

It should be observed' that all bearings are large, as compared to usual oil or ball bearings, to keep the unit bearing pressures low so that only is required.

In'the horizontal bearings shown in Fig. 12, it should be noted that no ducts lead to the lower half ofthe bearing, the duct or ducts 80' alone being employed, because the main pressure on the bearings is downward, so that the main air pressure should be exerted upwardly.

'Ihe used air from the spinning jets and supporting surfaces within the gyro casing passes downwardly through apertures 80 into a hollow projection 8| formed with four oppositely directed slots, two ofwhich are shown at 82 in Fig. 12, and one of the opposite pair at 83. Small pendulous shutters 84 are pivoted about each slot to erect the gyroscope, as more fully described in the copending application, now the patent to Bert G. Carlson, No. 1,982,636, dated December 14, 1934, for Air driven gyro verticals.

'I'he horizon bar 85 is shown 'as pivoted on gimbal 60 at 86 and is connected to the rotor casing by pin 81 in the usual manner. Air for the forward pivot 62' is shown as led into bore v1 from a laterally extending hole 88, which emerges into the atmosphere.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes,'I have herein ldescribed the'principle and operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent` the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only 'illustrative and that the invention can ybe carried `out by other means.

Havingdescribed my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a gyroscope, a rotor, a supporting frame therefor, air `supported spaced spherical rotor bearings between said frame and' rotor, a ring for supporting said frame, air supported spaced spherical bearings between said ring and frame, and means for leading air under pressure to a vcup shaped sockets in the other of vsaid members,

llow between said bearings and frame member, a pair of spaced bearings `between said members comprising a pair of spherical projections on one of said members, complementary cup shaped sockets in the other of said members, and means for causing a continuous air flow between said surfaces to float the rotor between two air illxm and without mechanical contact.

' 4. A flywheel or rotor member, a rotor bearing frame member, a pair of spaced bearings between said members. comprising a'pair of spherical projections on one of said members, complementary a jet for spinning the rotor,- andfmeans for leadlng in air under pressure to cause continuous airv also to said jet to furnish air bearings for and to spin the rotor.

5. Air bearings as claimed in claim 3, in which the cup and spherical projection have the same radius, for the purpose specified.

6. Air bearings as claimed in claim 3,. in which the center of curvature of the two pairs of spaced bearings does not coincide with the center of the rotor.

- 7. A directional gyroscope comprising an outer casing, a vertical ring, upper and lower spherical large surface bearings between said casing and ring, a rotor bearing frame', spherical large surface bearings supporting said frame in said ring, a rotor` mounted in said frame on similar bear-4 ings, all of said parts'being of the same non-magnetic material, and means for supplying air between saidbearings.

8. An air driven air supported artificial horizon for aircraft, comprising a normally horizontal rotor. a rotor bearing casing, upper and lower spherical air bearings for the rotor in `said casing, a gimbal ring, vspherical air bearings between said gimbal and rotor casing, an outer casing,

' spherical air bearings between said outer casing and gimbal, and casing.

9. A flywheel or rotor member, a rotor bearing frame member, a pair of spaced bearings between said members comprising a pair of spherical projections on one o1' said members, complementary cup shaped sockets in the other of said members, and registering apertures through said cups and. projections for leading air under pressure between the bearing surfaces so formed. 10. A flywheel or rotor member, a rotor bearlng frame member, a pair of spaced bearings between said members comprising a pair of spherical projections on one of said two members, complementary cup shaped sockets in the other of said members, and registering apertures through one of said cups and projections for leading air underpressure into one bearing, said rotor also having an aperture -therethrough registering with said other apertures to lead air into. the other bearing.

11. In an vair borne directional gyroscope having a vertical ring and rotor bearing casing, a 75 air erecting means on said rotor with said tangential apertures horizontal air bearing between said ring and casing including a cup and a button, one of which is on said ring and the other on said casing, laterally directed holes permitting the escape of some air from said bearing, and a shield adapted to differentially cover said holes, said shield and holes being one in said cup and the other in said button, whereby an erecting torque is developed upon inclination of the rotor casing.

12. A flywheel or rotor member, a rotor bearing frame member, a pair of spaced bearings between said members comprising a pair of spherical projections on one of said members, complementary cup shaped sockets in the other of said members, and registering apertures through said cups and projections for leading air under pressure between the bearing surfaces so formed, the rotor having an axial aperture and a plurality of tangential apertures, said axial aperture connecting at least one pair of said registering apertures for spinning the rotor by reaction.

13. Air ment for rotational freedom about a single axis but preventing relative axial movement, comprising spaced cup shaped members, the centers of curvature of which are spaced, corresponding spaced buttonsthe curvature of said cups and buttons being such that a minimum clearance is maintained between the same at the points of air emergence between said cup and button, for the purpose specified.

14. Air bearings for supporting a sensitive element for rotational freedom about a single axis but preventing relative axial movement, comprising spaced cup shaped members, corresponding spaced buttons, the radius of curvature of each cup and button being the same whereby less clearance under operating conditions is provided around the edge of the cup than at the center to restrict the air flow.

15. A horizontal pivotal support for an instrument, including a pair of `cooperating cups and buttons on opposite sides of. said instrument, provlding boththrust and radial bearings, and means for supplying an air flow film between the surfaces of each pair, including a duct directing the air upwardly and inwardly.

16. An air driven air supported artificial horizon for aircraft, comprising a normally horizontal rotor, a rotor bearing casing, and upper and lower spherical air bearings for the rotor in said casing, said vlower bearing having a horizontal flange 'projecting beyond the same under a flat portion of the rotor, the air escaping from said bearing passing between said flange and rotor to assist in supporting the rotor.

17. Air bearingsfor supporting a directional gyroscope for freedom about a vertical axis, the combination with an outer casing and the shell which is journaled therein, of spaced cup shaped members in said casing, cooperating spaced spherically shaped buttons on the top and bottom of said shell, the centers of curvature of said spaced members being vertically spaced, whereby freedom about only the vertical axis is provided.

18. A horizontal pivotal support for a sensitive element, the combination with a support` and said element, a cup member and a cooperating button member between said support and element on each side thereof, providing both end thrust and radial bearings, at least one member of each pair of members' having a plurality of restricted ducts therethrough adapted to lead compressed air between the adjacent surfaces of said members, and

bearings for supporting a sensitive ele- Y the centers of curvature of each pair being spaced.

19. Air bearings for supporting a sensitive element for rotational freedom about a single axis but preventing relative axial movement, comprising spaced cup shaped members, corresponding spaced buttons, one of each pair of cups and buttons having a plurality of spaced, restricted apertures therethrough and means whereby compressed air may be directed through said apertures between each cup and button, the curvature of said cups and buttons being such that a minimum clearance is maintained between the same adjacent the points of air emergence between said cup and button.

20. An air borne rotor as claimed in claim 12, wherein a plurality of additional spaced, restricted apertures are provided through the stationary member of each pair of cooperating bearing members to increase the radial support.

21. In a gyroscope, a rotor, a supporting frame therefor, air supported spaced spherical bearings between said frame and rotor, a ring for supporting said frame, air supported spaced spherical bearings between said ring and frame, an outer casing, air supported spaced spherical bearings between said casing and ring, and a plurality of spaced restricted ports for leading air under pressure to spaced points between each pair of bearing surfaces causing continuous outward air ow.

22. In a three degree of ,freedom gyroscope, a rotor and rotor bearing frame, a supporting ring for pivotally supporting said frame, and an outer casing for pivotally supporting said ring and pivotal bearings between said frame and ring and ring and casing, each of said bearings having working surfaces which are large surfaces complementally curved and which extend on at least two sides of the frame or ring, and means for supplying air under pressure between said` complemental surfaces to cause continuous outward air flow.

23. In gyroscopic apparatus, the combination with the rotor and rotor surrounding bearing frame, of bearing means for mounting said frame within a second frame for freedom about an axis perpendicular to the rotor axis, including complementary surfaces on said two frames lying on both sides of said rotor and curved in two planes and having means whereby air under pressure flows between said surfaces to support said rst frame, the centers of curvature in at least one plane being spaced, whereby relative rotation of said frames is permitted about said first axis only and relative translation prevented.

24. In a gyroscope, a rotor and rotor bearing frame, a ring for pivotally supporting said frame, air supported spherical bearings between said frame and ring supporting said frame for oscillation about a single axis, an outer casing, air supported spherical@ bearings between said casing and ring supporting said ring for oscillation about a second single axis, and means for lead- .ing air under pressure to a point between each pair of cooperating bearing surfaces to cause a continuous air flow lm.

v25. A fiywheel or rotor member as claimed in claim 3, in which said rotor member is provided with tangential -jets therein for spinning the same by reaction, the air thereto being supplied by the means supplying air iiow to the said rotor bearings.

26. In a directionalgyroscope, the combina.- tion with a rotor and rotor bearing frame, a vertical ring within which said frame is mounted for oscillation about a horizontal axis, means for leading air under pressure along said axis for spinning the rotor, a pair of small ports for -discharging air laterally connected with said means, and shutter means adjacent said ports,-

27. An air driven air supported artificial horizon for aircraft, comprising a normally horizontal air spun rotor, a. rotor bearing casing, a gimbal ring, spherical air bearings between said gimbal and rotor casing, an outer closed casing, spherical air bearings between said outer casing and gimbal, air erecting means on said rotor casin'g, means for pumping air from said outer casing, and means for leading atmospheric airv into said rotor and said bearings. 28. In a directional gyroscope, a rotor, a supporting frame therefor, air supported spaced. spherical rotor bearings between said frame and rotor, a ring for supporting said frame, air supported spaced spherical bearings between said ring Vand frame, means for leading air under pressure to a point between each pair of bearing surfaces, causing continuous outward air iloW,

auxiliary oppositelyl acting discharge ports from l, at least one of said bearings, 'and shutter means for differentially covering said ports on inclination of said frame for erecting the gyroscope.

29. In a directional gyroscope, the combination with a rotor and rotor bearing frame, a vertical ring within which said 4frame is mounted for oscillation about a horizontal axis, means for leading air under pressure along said axis, apair of small ports mounted on said ring and lying in the same plane as Said horizontal axis VA:ffor discharging air laterally connected with said means to exert torques about the vertical axis of said ring, and shutter means adjacent said` vports mounted on said frame and adapted to differentially cov'er said ports on inclination of said frame, whereby an erecting torque is exerted on the gyroscope about its vertical axis upon inclination thereof with respect to said vertical ring.

30. In an air borne directional gyroscope 4having a frame tilting with the-gyroscope and a relatively vertical part on. which said frame is pivoted, a horizontal air bearing between said frame and part including two portions, viz. a cup and a button, one oi which is on said frame and the other on said part, there being laterally directed holes in. the portion of the air bearing on said part permitting the' escape of some air from said bearing, and a shield adapted tol differentially cover said-holes, said shield and holes being one in said cup and the other in `said button, whereby an erecting torque is developed upon inclination of the frame.

LESLIE F. CARTER. 

